Signature City Kansas City

Program Registration: 3:00 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, other important information, and to confirm when and where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in.

At the hotel, we’ll have a pre-selected plated dinner with choices of entrée plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will have breakfast each day in the hotel, lunches and dinners in the hotel and restaurants around the city. We will pre-select some meals. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At the hotel, choose what you like from the breakfast buffet that includes choices such as eggs, pancakes or French toast, fruit, milk, juice, coffee, tea, water.

We’ll set out on a walking field trip with a local historian to explore and learn about the history, public art, and Spanish-inspired architecture of the Country Club Plaza area, a 15-block retail, dining, and entertainment district. We’ll also learn about J. C. Nichols, the visionary developer who in 1922 transformed a swampy section of Brush Creek Valley into America’s first suburban shopping district. Upon return to the hotel we will enjoy a presentation with our local historian who will give us an overview presentation on Kansas City and Missouri, providing the foundation for our program activities. We then board the motorcoach for historic Union Station.

Lunch today will be at Harvey's at Union Station. Choices pre-selected prior to arrival at the program.

After lunch we enjoy an expert led walking exploration of Union Station. Part of the reason Kansas City became known as Paris of the Plains was its free and easy nightlife in the early 20th century. But it was also thanks to significant cultural institutions and majestic architecture such as Union Station, opened in 1914. The architect, Jarvis Hunt, was a prominent member of the “City Beautiful” movement focused on urban beautification. The station is a wonderful example of the Beaux-Arts style and was the second-largest train station in the country when it opened. At its peak in World War II, Union Station served more than a million passengers but deteriorated over the decades as train travel declined. A restoration movement began in the 1980s and reached fruition with the 1999 re-opening of a rejuvenated, multi-purpose community facility. Today it is not only a monument to travel, but also a home for culture, education, and entertainment. We again board the coach for a journey to the home and studio of Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975), one of America’s most popular artists for several decades before World War II. At the age of 18, he enrolled in the Art Institute of Chicago, then went to Paris where he met and admired the great Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He returned to America and served at the Norfolk Naval Base during World War I, where he was influenced by the Navy’s requirement for artistic realism. His family’s roots in Missouri gave him an intense appreciation of life and culture in the Midwest. Benton’s great murals made him a champion of the artistic movement known as Regionalism. He was also an outspoken opponent of fascism, foreign and domestic. He is remembered foremost for his images of ordinary people and daily life. We’ll have an insider’s look at his home and studio, untouched since his death, and learn about his life, work, and influence on other American artists. Following the visit we return to the hotel via coach.

Dinner this evening will be served at a local restaurant.

At your leisure.

Breakfast is served at the hotel this morning.

This morning we board the motorcoach for a visit to the historic 18th and Vine District, a cradle of jazz, and two of the city’s most praised museums side by side in one facility: the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The American Jazz Museum is the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to preserving and promoting jazz music while also celebrating jazz greats such as Charlie Parker — born and raised in Kansas City — and providing performance opportunities for up and coming performers. In addition to music, the 18th and Vine District was the thriving home of other aspects of black life and culture. The Negro National League was founded here in 1920. Jackie Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs before going to the big leagues. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum preserves the legacy of that era, its players, and the rich history of African-American baseball. Following our Museum visit we board the coach for the Mutual Musicians Foundation.

Catered lunch today at the Mutual Musicians Foundation with pre-selected choices.

Following lunch we are joined by the staff of the Mutual Musicians Foundation for a presentation about the history of the foundation and also we are treated to a live musical performance. This afternoon's field trip includes an expert-led exploration at the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The memorial that opened in 1926 is a 217-foot tall tower framed by stone sphinxes representing Memory and the Future. At its dedication, President Calvin Coolidge said, “It has not been raised to commemorate war and victory, but rather the results of war and victory which are embodied in peace and liberty…” The museum opened in 2007. Visitors enter over a field of 9,000 simulated poppies, each representing 1,000 dead soldiers. Exhibits trace the development of European conflicts that resulted in the war and the role of the U.S. in helping bring the war to an end. We return to the hotel via motorcoach.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure.

Breakfast is served at the hotel this morning.

This morning we board the coach for Independence, MO and the Bingham Waggoner Estate. Here we will enjoy a guided visit with the estate staff thru the museum to learn about the families that have lived in the home since the early 1800's, including George Caleb Bingham, the famous 19th century artist and Missouri politician. Following the visit we'll hop on board a mule pulled covered wagon as we take in Independence highlights with a narrator.

At a restaurant in Independence, we’ll have a pre-selected lunch with soft drinks and water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Boarding the coach we make our way to the Harry Truman Presidential Library and Museum. Here you will have the opportunity to visit the exhibits dedicated to the life of our 33rd President of the United States. Following our visit we return to the hotel via motorcoach.

We make a short walk to a popular Kansas City restaurant with preselected choices of entrée plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

Breakfast is served at the hotel this morning.

We board the coach with our Group Leader for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art that resulted from the legacies of two public spirited citizens who believed in the necessity of cultural resources for the city and the power of art to stimulate the human spirit. The original building, a neo-Classical masterpiece, was called a “temple of art” when it opened in 1933. Much of the permanent collection was purchased for bargain prices during the Great Depression. Highlights include European paintings, Asian art and antique Chinese furniture, American painting, Native American art, and an outdoor sculpture park. The modern addition opened in 2007. While the design was controversial, the finished structures were highly praised. The New York Times architecture critic wrote: “For the art world, the addition, known as the Bloch Building, should reaffirm that art and architecture can happily coexist. The rest of us can draw comfort from the fact that public works of our own day and age can equal or surpass the grand achievements of past generations.”

Lunch will be on your own today at Rozelle Court located at the Nelson-Atkins.

We board the coach for a short drive to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Money Museum. Here we participate in a self-guided exploration through the exhibits. We then make our way via motorcoach to the Arabia Steamboat Museum. In 1856 the Steamboat Arabia loaded with over 200 tons of cargo sunk 6 miles off the coast of Kansas City. The museum features a captivating look into the recovery and salvation of priceless artifacts. Following our visit we return to the hotel via motorcoach.

Tonight we make a short trip via motorcoach for a local BBQ restaurant for a delicious farewell dinner to include entree, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages. Share favorite experiences with your new Road Scholar friends.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure following our final session in the morning.

Breakfast is served at the hotel this morning.

Program wrap up with your Group Leader. This concludes our program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!